Accreditation: Penn State Landscape Architecture Programs
Program Details
Programs accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) are required to provide reliable information to the public. Programs must report on accreditation status and its performance. This information is to help potential students make informed application decisions.
Penn State’s B.L.A. undergraduate curriculum and our M.L.A. graduate curriculum both are accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board. The mission of LAAB is to evaluate, advocate for, and advance the quality of education in landscape architectural programs. LAAB establishes standards that ensure that current and future practitioners understand, obtain and maintain the knowledge, skills and abilities required to practice landscape architecture in the future.
Students in the B.L.A. program can complete the degree in 4.5 years (139 credits). Students in the M.L.A. program can complete the degree in three or fewer years, depending on whether they have a professional undergraduate degree or majored in a non-affiliated program.
As with other professionally accredited landscape architecture programs, Penn State’s B.L.A. and M.L.A. undergo accreditation review every six years. The B.L.A. was most recently reviewed in spring 2017, and obtained glowing praise from the accreditation team. Our M.L.A. program was most recently accredited by LAAB in spring 2020, and the next accreditation visit is scheduled for spring 2024.
More information on LAAB can be found via asla.org/accreditationlaab.aspx.
Awards
+ Student Accomplishments
Our nationally-renowned department is recognized for student-centric educational excellence and innovative research. The department enjoys a fine reputation for scholarship produced both by individuals and by teams and research centers. Following are a few recent achievements of our programs’ students.
2021
PA–DE American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Awards
- Design Strategies for Erosion Control at Presque Isle State Park
Lauren Taylor, Merit Award, Analysis & Planning Category - Riparian Park System
Fahemi Farhadi, Merit Award, General Design Category - The Ribbon: Bartram North Campus-Park
Zimeng Chen, Merit Award, General Design Category
2020
PA–DE American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Awards
- Bike to School
Jiafeng Deng, Honor Award, Analysis & Planning Category - Le Pont
Jiafeng Deng, Honor Award, General Design Category - Sensory Path
Fahemi Farhadi, Merit Award, General Design Category
2019
Landscape Architecture Foundation National Olmsted Scholar Program
PA–DE American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Awards
- Understanding Rio de Janeiro’s Favelas: A Plan for Santa Marta’s Future Expansion
Cristina Frass, Hannah Claire Winn, Kyle Sven Johnson, and Bernardo Almeida Barra, Honor Award, Student Collaboration Category - Softening the Edge: A Strategy to Reduce Air Pollution in Houston’s Fence-Line Communities
Cristina Frass, Merit Award, General Design Category
2018
National Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) Award
- Marsh Morphosis
Sadiqua Ansari, Award of Honor
PA–DE ASLA Awards
- ‘Memorial’ A Place-Based Documentary of National September 11 Memorial and Irish Hunger Memorial
Xiaoji Zhou, Honor Award, Communications Category - Marsh-morphosis: A climate-responsive and adaptive design framework for habitat restoration and recreation for Rumney Marsh
Sadiqua Ansari, Honor Award, Analysis and Planning Category - The Dancing Landscape
Jingyin Zhu, Merit Award, General Design Category - Newport on the Levee 2.0
Tongton Zhou, Merit Award, Analysis & Planning Category
2017
National ASLA Award
- Urban Landscape Metrics: Re-Imagining the Class Field Trip in New York City
Quinn Pullen, Honor Award, Communications Category
PA–DE ASLA Awards
- Broadway Avenue, Beechview (Pittsburgh, PA): Green Infrastructure Concept Plan
Lauren Shoats, Honor Award, General Design Category - Future Ground: The South Area of the Philadelphia Zoo Masterplan
Tongtong Zhou, Honor Award, General Design Category
2016
National ASLA Award
- Dan Kiley Landscapes in Bartholomew County, Indiana and Planting Typologies at the Miller Garden and North Christian Church
Zhen Tong, Honor Award, Communications Category
2014
PA–DE ASLA Awards
- Crossroads Park: A Community Revitalization and Ecological Regeneration Catalyst, Hazelwood, Pittsburgh, PA
Andrew Michael Madl, Honor Award, Community Service Category
2013
National ASLA Award
- Dredge City: Sediment Catalysis
Matthew Moffitt, Award of Excellence, General Design Category
PA–DE ASLA Awards
- Revival of the Wooland Ave. Corridor, Pittsburgh, PA
Christopher Chiampi, Honor Award, Community Service Category - Flexible Futures, Sullivan County, PA
Christoper Maurer and Michael Humes, Honor Award, Analysis and Planning Category - Connect5, Mang’ula, Tanzania
Sean Lyons and Chris Maurer, Merit Award, Analysis and Planning Category - Examining Sustainable Development Options in Jersey Shore: A Community Engaged Process, Jersey Shore, PA
Preston Linck, Kirsten Hardy, Thomas Kyd, and Dina Mahmoud, Merit Award, Community Service Category
Program Information
Demographics
| Gender | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 52% | 30% |
| Male | 58% | 70% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0% | 0% |
| Asian | 12% | 0% |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Island | 0% | 0% |
| Black/African-American | 2% | 1% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 9% | 0% |
| White/non-Hispanic | 70% | 80% |
| Mixed (Two or more races) | 5% | 0% |
| Unknown | 2% | 1% |
NOTE: Race/ethnicity percentages only reflect domestic students.
Updated March 2023.
| Residency | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| PA Resident | 59% | 26% |
| Non-PA Resident | 41% | 74% |
| Origin | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 88% | 50% |
| International | 12% | 50% |
Updated March 2023.
Degrees Statistics
The B.L.A. and M.L.A. programs at Penn State have awarded the following number of degrees over the past five years.
| Degree Level | 2021–22 | 2020–21 | 2019–20 | 2018–19 | 2017–18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B.L.A. | 31 | 28 | 31 | 28 | 26 |
| M.L.A. | 5 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 2 |
| Total | 36 | 33 | 39 | 31 | 28 |
Updated March 2023.
Graduation Statistics
| Graduation Rates | B.L.A. | M.L.A. | M.S. in L.A. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of semesters to complete degree (regular) | 9 | 6 | 4 |
| Graduated within regular timeframe | 92% | 100% | 50% |
Graduate Employment Statistics
B.L.A.
- 65% – Private LARCH Employment
- 20% – Higher Education (study or employed)
- 15% – Unknown
M.L.A.
- 73% – Private LARCH Employment
- 18% – Higher Education
- 9% – Unknown
Costs of Attendance
Estimated cost of full-time attendance for one year.
| B.L.A. | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $19,286 | $38,102 |
| Room and board | $12,582 | $12,582 |
| TOTAL | $31,868 | $50,684 |
| M.L.A. | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $24,466 | $41,602 |
Note: These are estimates. For a personal estimate, students are encouraged to use the Tuition and College Cost Estimator. Updated March 2023.
Alumni Spotlight
Alumni Spotlight
Demetrios Staurinos
B.L.A. in Landscape Architecture 2002Demetrios Staurinos, RLA, ASLA, is an associate at OLIN, a landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with studios in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Demetrios has received awards from, among others, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the American Planning Association, and the American Institute of Architects and American Public Works Association. He is driven to improve the built environment by embellishing the “happy accidents” that occur when a thoughtful design meets the playful interactions of daily life.
